New bind elastic supplier off to a flying start

"It really didn't start all that serious. Besides our sorting machines for cut flowers, customers were wondering whether we could supply them with bind elastic as well. Why not, we thought, and now we’re sending out more boxes each week. Over the last two years, hundreds of millions of tulips, gerberas and other flowers were bunched with our elastic."

Mark Fikkers, director of Havatec and with its customized sorting machines for cut flowers rapidly making name worldwide, is enthusiastic. "Standard bind elastic is delivered with every new machine, but, as we heard more and more often, it wasn't always made of the best quality. Also customers complained about the price. "This elastic was produced in China. Since production processes that far away are difficult to monitor, we started cooperating with European partners. This made it easier for us to guarantee quality. In addition, the scale on which we now deliver bind elastic, made us into a type of wholesaler, meaning we can supply against corresponding wholesale prices. For customers this means saving a lot, making it a win-win situation."

Serious business

The service took hold, customers kept coming back and at first it was a bit overwhelming. "Through the elastic we got in touch with new businesses. In some cases it even resulted in new customers. It was time to start taking this new activity serious. ‘Bindelastiek.com, bindingstring.com, would these domain names still be available?’ And yes! We immediately secured them and built a website characterized by simplicity and no-nonsense. And we've made sure to always have enough stock to guarantee fast delivery and process everything digitally."

Explode

The elastic fits all conventional binders and finds its way not only to cut flower growers but also to trading companies, vegetable growers, all kinds of packaging companies, florists, etc. Worldwide. They are also pushing hard to firmly establish the Bindelastiek brand in the market. And now? "Now it needs to explode. Bring on those orders. In flowers we now hold about 5 percent of the market. If it’s up to us, that may multiply substantially."

For more information:
Bindelastiek
Mark Fikkers
Pletterij 40
2211JT Noordwijkerhout
T: +31(0)252-241490
E: mark.fikkers@havatec.nl
www.bindelastiek.com